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Zan Zendegi Azadi: A Zoroastrian legacy

Zan Zendegi Azadi: A Zoroastrian legacy

Feb 9, 2023 | Opinion

Rustom Baug in Byculla celebrates centenary year

Rustom Baug in Byculla celebrates centenary year

Feb 7, 2023 | Bombay, Heritage, History, Mumbai

The champion hotelier

The champion hotelier

Feb 7, 2023 | News

Byram D Avari, the Parsis of Karachi, and the future of Pakistan

Byram D Avari, the Parsis of Karachi, and the future of Pakistan

Jan 30, 2023 | Individuals

Carrom and camaraderie in the colony

Carrom and camaraderie in the colony

Jan 30, 2023 | Bombay, Heritage, History, Mumbai

Coomi Wadia & Areez Khambatta Conferred Padma Shri Awards 2023

Coomi Wadia & Areez Khambatta Conferred Padma Shri Awards 2023

Jan 26, 2023 | News

Byram Dinshawji Avari Passes Away

Byram Dinshawji Avari Passes Away

Jan 25, 2023 | News

What existed before Kayani Bakery at Poona at that spot?

What existed before Kayani Bakery at Poona at that spot?

Jan 23, 2023 | Food and Beverage

Markham couple opens home for youths struggling with housing

Markham couple opens home for youths struggling with housing

Jan 22, 2023 | News

Silver Anniversary Celebrations At WZO Trust Funds’ Bai Maneckbai P P Jeejeebhoy Senior Citizens Centre, Navsari

Silver Anniversary Celebrations At WZO Trust Funds’ Bai Maneckbai P P Jeejeebhoy Senior Citizens Centre, Navsari

Jan 22, 2023 | News

HumSafer: A Safety App for Truck Drivers by Jehaan Kotwal

HumSafer: A Safety App for Truck Drivers by Jehaan Kotwal

Jan 21, 2023 | News

Rustom Baug Is 100 Years Old

Rustom Baug Is 100 Years Old

Jan 21, 2023 | Bombay, Heritage, Mumbai

parsikhabar
Mumbai’s Parsi housing community is engaged in an Mumbai’s Parsi housing community is engaged in an important conversation on a matter that touches many families across Bombay Parsi Punchayet baugs and colonies: the proposed conversion of certain leave-and-licence arrangements into tenancy rights.The issue, long discussed within the community, has returned to public attention after the BPP Board reportedly cleared a process allowing eligible long-standing leave-and-licence residents to apply for conversion to tenancy. For many families, the proposal represents a path toward greater housing security and dignity. For others within the Trust’s leadership, it is a decision that requires careful documentation, legal clarity and a transparent framework.At its heart, this is not merely an administrative matter. It is about how the community balances compassion for residents with the responsibility of protecting and stewarding valuable community assets for future generations.What Has Been ProposedAccording to public statements and newspaper reports, the BPP has not proposed an automatic or blanket conversion of all leave-and-licence residents into tenants. Rather, the process appears to allow eligible licensees who were allotted flats without paying a deposit to apply for conversion into tenancy.Each application would reportedly be considered by the BPP Board on its own merits. The stated eligibility conditions include that the applicant should be a Parsi family, should not fall within categories restricted by the Trust’s housing criteria, and should not have a history of litigation against the Punchayet.BPP Chairman Viraf Mehta has explained that the Trust would not charge residents a conversion fee beyond mandatory stamp duty and regulatory charges. https://parsikhabar.net/bombay-parsi-panchayat/bpps-leave-and-licence-to-tenancy-proposal-a-community-conversation-on-housing-security-and-trust-stewardship/31606/
Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years.
Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Ro Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road in Honour of Kenya’s Legal Icon Nairobi has paid a lasting tribute to one of Kenya’s most respected legal minds. On May 4, 2026, Galana Road in Kilimani was officially renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road, honouring the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee, a constitutional lawyer, human-rights defender, scholar, author, poet, and one of the most principled voices in Kenya’s democratic journey. The ceremony brought together family, friends, lawyers, civic leaders, human-rights defenders, and members of the Kilimani community. Among those present were Viloo Nowrojee, widow of the late Senior Counsel, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, activist Boniface Mwangi, human-rights lawyer Gitobu Imanyara, Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irũngũ Houghton, and Nairobi County representatives. What might have appeared to be a simple change of signage was, for many present, much more. It was the inscription of Pheroze Nowrojee’s name into the public memory of the city he loved, lived in, and served for decades. As Boniface Mwangi wrote after the ceremony, those gathered had come “to mark more than the renaming of a road.” They had come to place Nowrojee’s legacy “where it belongs: in the heart of the city where he lived and served so faithfully.” A Road Becomes a Living Memorial The renaming followed months of public consultation and civic engagement led by the Kilimani Community Foundation, Amnesty International Kenya, members of the Nowrojee family, residents, lawyers, and Nairobi County officials. According to accounts of the process, the campaign began in October 2025 and included consultations with area leaders, residents, businesses, and community members. https://parsikhabar.net/news/nairobi-honours-parsi-legal-icon-pheroze-nowrojee-with-road-naming/31551/
When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering N.C. Anklesaria & Company on World Bicycle Day On World Bicycle Day, we look back at a charming chapter from Indore’s civic and commercial history, one in which the humble bicycle was not merely a mode of transport, but a symbol of aspiration, mobility, enterprise, and everyday life.At the heart of this story is N.C. Anklesaria & Company, which, in 1918, started what is remembered as Indore’s first bicycle showroom in the cantonment area. The firm became part of the city’s cycling culture at a time when bicycles were still rare, expensive, and admired objects.In 1930, when many members of the Parsi community were migrating to Pune and Mumbai, Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar II is said to have encouraged Anklesaria & Company to remain in Indore. He gave the company a plot on Maharani Road, asking them to continue their business in the city. That gesture helped anchor a Parsi enterprise within the commercial life of Indore and placed Anklesaria & Company on a road that would become synonymous with bicycles.In those early decades, owning a bicycle was a matter of prestige. Imported brands such as Raleigh and Humber were considered expensive, costing around ₹14 and ₹15 respectively. Other well-known makes such as Philips and Hercules BSA were available for ₹8 to ₹12. These amounts may sound modest today, but at the time, they represented a significant purchase. https://parsikhabar.net/heritage/when-indore-was-the-city-of-bicycles-remembering-n-c-anklesaria-company-on-world-bicycle-day/31583/
The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has br The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has brought renewed attention to one of the most remarkable business journeys in modern India: the creation of Titan, the company that transformed the country’s watch market and became one of India’s most trusted consumer brands.At the heart of that story is Xerxes Desai, the founding managing director of Titan, whose vision helped shift India from an era of scarcity and waiting lists to one of design, choice, precision, and aspiration.The six-part series, now streaming on Amazon MX Player, features Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai and Naseeruddin Shah as J.R.D. Tata. Based on Vinay Kamath’s book Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand, the series revisits the risks, resistance, and resolve behind the birth of Titan. But beyond the story of a company, it also offers a portrait of a kind of Indian institution-building that feels especially relevant today.Born in 1937 into a Parsi family, Xerxes Desai studied at Elphinstone College in Mumbai before pursuing higher studies at Oxford University, where he read philosophy, economics, and politics. He joined the Tata Group in 1961 through the Tata Administrative Service and worked across several Tata businesses, including chemicals, hotels, and steel.That range of experience gave Desai a broad understanding of Indian industry at a time when the country was still shaped by the licence raj. Production quotas, government controls, and shortages defined much of the consumer economy. Watches were no exception. The state-run HMT dominated the market, and buying a watch could involve waiting, booking, and compromise. Good watches were often hard to find, and many superior timepieces entered the country through informal or smuggled channels.It was in this context that Desai saw an opportunity. India did not merely need more watches. It needed a new idea of what an Indian watch could be.Desai
Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years. The ZTFE is the oldest established South Asian faith-based voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, and Javid’s long association with the institution reflects his deep commitment to the Zoroastrian community in the UK and beyond. He also serves as a director and treasurer of the World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce UK, where he remains an active member of the committee and continues to support the organisation’s work in connecting and strengthening Zoroastrian business and professional networks.
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Mumbai’s Parsi housing community is engaged in an Mumbai’s Parsi housing community is engaged in an important conversation on a matter that touches many families across Bombay Parsi Punchayet baugs and colonies: the proposed conversion of certain leave-and-licence arrangements into tenancy rights.The issue, long discussed within the community, has returned to public attention after the BPP Board reportedly cleared a process allowing eligible long-standing leave-and-licence residents to apply for conversion to tenancy. For many families, the proposal represents a path toward greater housing security and dignity. For others within the Trust’s leadership, it is a decision that requires careful documentation, legal clarity and a transparent framework.At its heart, this is not merely an administrative matter. It is about how the community balances compassion for residents with the responsibility of protecting and stewarding valuable community assets for future generations.What Has Been ProposedAccording to public statements and newspaper reports, the BPP has not proposed an automatic or blanket conversion of all leave-and-licence residents into tenants. Rather, the process appears to allow eligible licensees who were allotted flats without paying a deposit to apply for conversion into tenancy.Each application would reportedly be considered by the BPP Board on its own merits. The stated eligibility conditions include that the applicant should be a Parsi family, should not fall within categories restricted by the Trust’s housing criteria, and should not have a history of litigation against the Punchayet.BPP Chairman Viraf Mehta has explained that the Trust would not charge residents a conversion fee beyond mandatory stamp duty and regulatory charges. https://parsikhabar.net/bombay-parsi-panchayat/bpps-leave-and-licence-to-tenancy-proposal-a-community-conversation-on-housing-security-and-trust-stewardship/31606/
Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Javid Canteenwala Appointed OBE in King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years.
Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Ro Galana Road in Nairobi Renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road in Honour of Kenya’s Legal Icon Nairobi has paid a lasting tribute to one of Kenya’s most respected legal minds. On May 4, 2026, Galana Road in Kilimani was officially renamed Pheroze Nowrojee Road, honouring the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee, a constitutional lawyer, human-rights defender, scholar, author, poet, and one of the most principled voices in Kenya’s democratic journey. The ceremony brought together family, friends, lawyers, civic leaders, human-rights defenders, and members of the Kilimani community. Among those present were Viloo Nowrojee, widow of the late Senior Counsel, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, activist Boniface Mwangi, human-rights lawyer Gitobu Imanyara, Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irũngũ Houghton, and Nairobi County representatives. What might have appeared to be a simple change of signage was, for many present, much more. It was the inscription of Pheroze Nowrojee’s name into the public memory of the city he loved, lived in, and served for decades. As Boniface Mwangi wrote after the ceremony, those gathered had come “to mark more than the renaming of a road.” They had come to place Nowrojee’s legacy “where it belongs: in the heart of the city where he lived and served so faithfully.” A Road Becomes a Living Memorial The renaming followed months of public consultation and civic engagement led by the Kilimani Community Foundation, Amnesty International Kenya, members of the Nowrojee family, residents, lawyers, and Nairobi County officials. According to accounts of the process, the campaign began in October 2025 and included consultations with area leaders, residents, businesses, and community members. https://parsikhabar.net/news/nairobi-honours-parsi-legal-icon-pheroze-nowrojee-with-road-naming/31551/
When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering When Indore Was the City of Bicycles: Remembering N.C. Anklesaria & Company on World Bicycle Day On World Bicycle Day, we look back at a charming chapter from Indore’s civic and commercial history, one in which the humble bicycle was not merely a mode of transport, but a symbol of aspiration, mobility, enterprise, and everyday life.At the heart of this story is N.C. Anklesaria & Company, which, in 1918, started what is remembered as Indore’s first bicycle showroom in the cantonment area. The firm became part of the city’s cycling culture at a time when bicycles were still rare, expensive, and admired objects.In 1930, when many members of the Parsi community were migrating to Pune and Mumbai, Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar II is said to have encouraged Anklesaria & Company to remain in Indore. He gave the company a plot on Maharani Road, asking them to continue their business in the city. That gesture helped anchor a Parsi enterprise within the commercial life of Indore and placed Anklesaria & Company on a road that would become synonymous with bicycles.In those early decades, owning a bicycle was a matter of prestige. Imported brands such as Raleigh and Humber were considered expensive, costing around ₹14 and ₹15 respectively. Other well-known makes such as Philips and Hercules BSA were available for ₹8 to ₹12. These amounts may sound modest today, but at the time, they represented a significant purchase. https://parsikhabar.net/heritage/when-indore-was-the-city-of-bicycles-remembering-n-c-anklesaria-company-on-world-bicycle-day/31583/
The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has br The release of Made In India: A Titan Story has brought renewed attention to one of the most remarkable business journeys in modern India: the creation of Titan, the company that transformed the country’s watch market and became one of India’s most trusted consumer brands.At the heart of that story is Xerxes Desai, the founding managing director of Titan, whose vision helped shift India from an era of scarcity and waiting lists to one of design, choice, precision, and aspiration.The six-part series, now streaming on Amazon MX Player, features Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai and Naseeruddin Shah as J.R.D. Tata. Based on Vinay Kamath’s book Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand, the series revisits the risks, resistance, and resolve behind the birth of Titan. But beyond the story of a company, it also offers a portrait of a kind of Indian institution-building that feels especially relevant today.Born in 1937 into a Parsi family, Xerxes Desai studied at Elphinstone College in Mumbai before pursuing higher studies at Oxford University, where he read philosophy, economics, and politics. He joined the Tata Group in 1961 through the Tata Administrative Service and worked across several Tata businesses, including chemicals, hotels, and steel.That range of experience gave Desai a broad understanding of Indian industry at a time when the country was still shaped by the licence raj. Production quotas, government controls, and shortages defined much of the consumer economy. Watches were no exception. The state-run HMT dominated the market, and buying a watch could involve waiting, booking, and compromise. Good watches were often hard to find, and many superior timepieces entered the country through informal or smuggled channels.It was in this context that Desai saw an opportunity. India did not merely need more watches. It needed a new idea of what an Indian watch could be.Desai
Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance. The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation. In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated: “Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.” Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years. The ZTFE is the oldest established South Asian faith-based voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, and Javid’s long association with the institution reflects his deep commitment to the Zoroastrian community in the UK and beyond. He also serves as a director and treasurer of the World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce UK, where he remains an active member of the committee and continues to support the organisation’s work in connecting and strengthening Zoroastrian business and professional networks.
Empowering Our Future: The 3rd World Zoroastrian Y Empowering Our Future: The 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum Kicks Off at the ASHA Centre! There is something incredibly heartwarming and hopeful happening right now in the beautiful English countryside. This week, our global youth movement took a massive leap forward as the 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Leaders Forum (WZYLF) officially got underway at the scenic ASHA Centre in Gloucestershire.The forum is, of course, the brainchild of its dedicated founder, Sanaya Master. Following the fantastic success of the inaugural forum back in 2018 and the wonderful second edition in 2024, this third gathering marks an enduring, deeply needed commitment to nurturing the next generation of Zarathushti leaders. Running from May 19 to May 26, 2026, this intensive 8-day immersion has brought together 16 incredibly dynamic young minds representing six different corners of the world: India, Pakistan, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Over the course of the week, this bright cohort is living, learning, and working under one roof, brainstorming future initiatives for our global community. The Magic of the ASHA CentreHonestly, there is perhaps no better place on earth for our youth to gather than the ASHA Centre. Founded by the legendary inspiring author, human rights campaigner, and our very own community stalwart, Zerbanoo Gifford, ASHA is a stunning Georgian estate and registered charity nestled in the heart of the Forest of Dean.
Love Letters: Divya Cowasji With forgiveness and r Love Letters: Divya Cowasji With forgiveness and restraint, Divya Cowasji has reimagined her family history in enigmatic storytelling photographs Back in 2018, the talented and thoughtful young filmmaker, photographer Divya Cowasji lost her beloved grand-aunt Dinoo and grandmother Minnie, and in quick succession “practically the entire senior generation of my family.” She found herself once bereft and burdened, “as one of the inheritors of their beloved possessions and also the keeper of their stories and family archive, I felt like the repository of a lot of oral history and material memory, and needed somewhere to put down the love I felt for them and also tackle the pain of losing them.” Cowasji burrowed into her inherited belongings and conspired with her surviving (and now nonagenarian) grandfather Phiroze Illava to pour all those complicated feelings into an impressive and inspired suite of photographic storytelling that will be published in book form by the Marseille-based Chose Commune this October. Excerpts debuted as There Are No Love Letters Here at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa last year, where I encountered them for the first time and became instantly captivated. It was familiar visual cultural terrain – the interior lives of well-to-do Parsi cosmopolitans – but with all the elements charmingly deconstructed in both playful and profound ways. The work is fresh, frank, achingly empathetic in its approach and authorial voice, and I found every bit of it utterly irresistible.

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Parsi Khabar is a portal of information about Parsis and Zoroastrians, appearing on the world wide web everyday.

The main objective of the site is to inform the public about news articles referencing Parsis. From time to time, there shall be opinions, commentaries, and announcements.

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